Bill > HR7516

This bill, the Purchased and Referred Care Improvement Act of 2024, amends the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to address liability for payment of charges or costs associated with the provision of purchased/referred care services. The key provisions include: (1) clarifying that patients are not liable for payments for purchased/referred care services authorized by the Indian Health Service, even if they have signed agreements stating otherwise; (2) requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish procedures for patients to be reimbursed within 30 days for out-of-pocket payments for purchased/referred care services; and (3) directing the Secretary to update the Indian Health Manual and other relevant documents to replace references to "contract health service" with "purchased/referred care."